Electrical connector with improved protective members

Abstract

An electrical connector includes: an insulating housing having a first mating face and a second mating face, a first slot through the first mating face, and a second slot through the second mating face, the second mating face protruding beyond the first mating face; a first set of terminals extending into the first slot; a first protective member and a second protective member extending into the first slot and attached to opposite end insides of the first slot; and a third protective member and a fourth protective member extending into the second slot and attached to opposite end insides of the second slot, wherein the second protective member and the third protective member are connected by a first metal plate, the second protective member extends downward from the first metal plate, and the third protective member extends upward from the first metal and then bends into the second slot.

1 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulating housing extending along a longitudinal direction and comprising a first slot with a first end inside to a second end inside in the longitudinal direction and a second slot with a third end inside to a fourth end inside, the first slot and the second slot being arranged along the longitudinal direction and opening through corresponding mating faces defined on the insulating housing, the mating face around the second slot protruding beyond the mating face around the first slot;   two sets of terminals disposed in the insulating housing and comprising elastic contacting portions extending into the first slot and the second slot, respectively;   a first protective member extending into the first slot and attached on the first end inside of the first slot;   a second protective member extending into the first slot and attached on the second end inside of the first slot;   a third protective member extending into the second slot and attached on the third end inside of the second slot; and   a fourth protective member extending into the second slot and attached on the fourth end inside of the second slot;   wherein the second protective member and the third protective member are connected by a first metal plate, the second protective member extends downward from the first metal plate into the first slot, the third protective member extends upwards and then bends downward and extends into the second slot.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first metal plate comprises a flat plate portion attached to the mating face, the second protective member extends downward from the flat plate portion, the third protective member extends upward from the flat plate portion and then bends downward, and the third protective member has an inverted U-shaped structure. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a retention portion bends from each side of the flat plate portion and is fixed in the insulating housing. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the flat plate portion is attached on the mating face corresponding to the first slot. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 4 , comprising a metal shell, surrounding and attached to an outside of the insulating housing, and wherein the fourth protective member unitarily extends from the metal shell. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a fifth protective member and a sixth protective member, and wherein the insulating housing comprises a third slot located at an end of the first slot opposite to the second slot in the longitudinal direction, the fifth protective member extends into the third slot and attached to one end inside of the third slot, the sixth protective member extends into the third slot and attached to another end inside of the third slot, and the fifth and the first protective member are joined together. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 6 , comprising a metal shell surrounding and being attached to an outside of the insulating housing, and wherein the fourth protective member and the sixth protective member extend from the metal shell. 
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first protective member and the fifth protective member are connected by a second metal plate, and the second metal plate comprises a bridge portion attached to the mating face. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first protective member and the fifth protective member have upwardly inclined butting pieces, and the butting pieces abut in grooves defined in the insulating housing. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insulating housing comprises a pair of side walls extending in the longitudinal direction and surrounding the first slot and the second slot, the pair of side walls having at least two pairs of convex portions extending correspondingly toward each other. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the two sets of terminals are located between the at least two pairs of convex portions. 
     
     
         12 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulating housing extending along a longitudinal direction and having a first mating face and a second mating face, a first slot opening through the first mating face, and a second slot opening through the second mating face, the first slot and the second slot being arranged along the longitudinal direction, the second mating face protruding beyond the first mating face;   a first set of terminals extending into the first slot;   a second set of terminals extending into the second slot;   a first protective member and a second protective member extending into the first slot and attached to opposite end insides of the first slot; and   a third protective member and a fourth protective member extending into the second slot and attached to opposite end insides of the second slot;   wherein the second protective member and the third protective member are connected by a first metal plate, the second protective member extends downward from the first metal plate, and the third protective member extends upward from the first metal and then bends into the second slot.   
     
     
         13 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the first metal plate comprises a flat plate portion attached to the first mating face, the second protective member extends downward from the flat plate portion, the third protective member extends upward from the flat plate portion and then bends downward, and the third protective member has an inverted U-shaped structure. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein a retention portion extends downwards from each side of the flat plate portion, and is fixed in a retention groove defined on the insulating housing. 
     
     
         15 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the insulating housing comprises a third slot located at another side of the first slot opposite to the second slot, a fifth protective member and a sixth protective member extend into the third slot and are attached to end sides of the third slot, and the sixth protective member and the first protective member are connected with a second metal plate. 
     
     
         16 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulating housing having a first mating face and a second mating face at different horizontal planes, a first slot through the first mating face, and a second slot through the second mating face;   a first set of terminals disposed in the first slot and a second set of terminals disposed in the second slot; and   a metal plate attached on the first mating face;   wherein a first piece extends downward from the metal plate into the first slot and a second piece extends upward from the metal plate and then bends downward into the second slot.   
     
     
         17 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the second piece is of an inverted U-shaped structure.